


Firstclasshewley's secretsanta fiction

by Madisuzy



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: M/M, Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-12-28
Updated: 2009-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-19 07:54:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5959531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madisuzy/pseuds/Madisuzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Genesis, Cloud and Zack go on a diplomatic mission to the mysterious new city of Esthar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from firstclasshewley - Secret, Chocolate, Snowflake. Anybody with Cloud except for Vincent, Hojo.
> 
> Cloud's 18 years old in this story and has just made it into soldier. Zack is soldier first class and Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth are all alive and Generals. Angeal and Sephiroth do not appear in this story and are only mentioned by other characters. This is my first attempt at writing Genesis and Zack so I hope they're not too OC. I aimed to write a one shot but got completely carried away. Oh, I took this opportunity to give Laguna a set of balls...he is significantly tougher and more confident than I usually write him. My apologies to anyone offended by my tweaking of his character.
> 
> update - Be warned, I don't think this will ever be added to at this point.

Genesis' day had started so well. He'd been given a diplomatic mission to open the lines of communication with the island nation of Esthar, a highly advanced society that had only recently been discovered far out in a previously unexplored area of the ocean.

It would have been the perfect opportunity to get to know the little blond that he'd been obsessing over for the last six months, without any interference. He'd called in a favour from Lazard and Rufus to make sure that the boy would be one of the two soldiers chosen to go with him, secure in the knowledge that the director and vice president would keep quiet about his request. Walking in on Lazard bent over his desk with Rufus thrusting into him had proved to be a very lucky mistake after all.

Everything had been perfect until he'd arrived at the mission briefing and realized he should have requested who the other soldier would be as well. Looking across the room at Zack Fair, he'd had to control the urge to scream as all his well laid plans disintegrated. The first class soldier was best friends with Cloud Strife, the object of his desire. He was overprotective, honourable and would never let Genesis in ten feet of Cloud, knowing all about the General's reputation for seducing younger cadets and then dumping them.

It wasn't like Genesis planned on dumping any of them. It was just that when the chase was over, he found his desire for his prey ebbed away to nothing. He hadn't even noticed the pattern that he had fallen into until his best friend, Angeal, had pointed it out to him one day, telling him that his reputation for loving and leaving was becoming legendary amongst the Soldier population. He'd been mortified to realize the truth and had stopped dating altogether since then. A year had gone by and he'd gotten used to being alone until that day that his eyes had fallen on Cloud.

The worst part of his obsession with the boy was the fact that he could tell no one else about it. Angeal and his other friend, Sephiroth, would never understand that this was different from all the other times. He didn't want to seduce Cloud, despite the fact that the young soldier made his blood boil with desire. This time he wanted something deeper and had decided that making friends with him first would be the best course of action. Unfortunately, that had been easier said than done as Zack and Cloud were always together when they were off duty. After months of trying to get the boy alone, he had given up and resorted to watching from afar, keeping his secret safe and consoling himself with his fantasies.

When this mission had come up, he'd jumped at the chance, only to have it slip through his fingers with the inclusion of Zackary Fair. He was beginning to believe this was his punishment for all those broken hearts he had left behind.

**.**

Zack's emotions were jumping from happy to sad at a rate that was making his head spin. He'd been ecstatic to receive his orders that morning. A cushy, all expenses paid trip to Esthar, the newly found island nation that everyone was talking about. To be one of the first to set foot there was a thrill that made him feel like one of those explorers that his father had told him bedtime stories about.

From what he read in the briefing, the city was a high tech metropolis that had kept itself hidden from the rest of the world to maintain its peaceful way of life. This meant one thing to Zack. Luxury. All he was required to do was accompany a senior officer there and gather as much information as possible. To top it all off, Cloud was going with him. It had all seemed too good to be true.

Then he'd noticed the dates of departure and return. They'd be gone for eight weeks, including Christmas. His parents were never going to understand. To them, Christmas was an essential event every year and the whole family spent the day together, no matter what. His mother would cry and his father would throw a fit and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Zack would miss being with them too. He loved being home for the holidays, and was even planning on dragging Cloud along this year because his friend had no family left to celebrate with. Now he'd be stuck in some foreign country that probably didn't even celebrate the event.

Adding to that was the fact that the senior officer they would be going with was none other than General Genesis Rhapsodos. Mister temperamental, stuck up, lock up your sons Rhapsodos was the last person he wanted to spend Christmas with. He was going to have to spend the whole time making sure the General didn't get his hands on Cloud. Genesis was well known for his ability to seduce and break the hearts of the unsuspecting and Cloud was so damn naive that he wouldn't stand a chance against the predator.

Zack's eternal optimism kicked in as he realized that at least he would get to spend Christmas with Cloud. After all, he always believed it was the people you spent the day with that made it special, not the decorations or the endless amounts of food. Now, all he had to do was tell his parents and ride the fallout. He just hoped that they wouldn't take it too hard.

**.**

Cloud ran like his ass was on fire towards the Shinra headquarters. He couldn't believe he'd slept in this morning and was already fifteen minutes late. General Rhapsodos was going to skin him alive.

He cut through an alley, running around the last corner and straight into the aforementioned General. Luckily Genesis had lightening fast reflexes and managed to brace himself before impact which left Cloud to bounce off him and fall on his butt like he'd hit a brick wall. As his head spun and he tried to stand up, gentle hands wrapped around his forearms and helped him up.

"Are you alright?" a concerned voice asked as his eyes finally focused on the man before him.

"G…general! I'm so sorry!" Cloud blurted out, his face burning in embarrassment. Oh Gods, not only was he late for his first mission as a Soldier but he'd also just bumbled into his commanding officer like a complete imbecile. The General would probably replace him before he even got on the boat. Looking up and preparing himself for the worst, he was surprised to see a smile instead of a frown.

"Good morning, Strife. Nice of you to join us," Genesis said with a chuckle. Cloud moved his lips to respond but no sound came out. Great, now he looked like a mute imbecile.

"First mission?" the General continued, thankfully ignoring his humiliation.

"Y…yes, Sir," Cloud managed to stutter out.

"I was late for my first one too, so do not worry. It is hard to get to sleep the night before with one's nerves acting up," he added, giving Cloud's arms a gentle squeeze before releasing them.

Cloud was so stunned at the kindness and understanding that all he could do was nod and smile. Following Genesis into the back of the car that would drive them to the dock, he finally noticed Zack's absence and asked about it.

"I sent Zackary on ahead to ensure everything is in order," the General replied, turning to stare out the window, seemingly lost in thought over the mission. He didn't really want to disturb Genesis, but he needed to say something in the face of his disastrous displays of incompetence.

"Excuse me, Sir," Cloud began softly, gaining confidence when the redhead turned towards him. "Thank you for being so understanding. I swear I will not disappoint you again." Seconds ticked by in silence as the General looked at him. Cloud was becoming uncomfortable and was about to say something to break the silence when the redhead finally answered.

"Cloud, you never disappoint me," Genesis whispered, grinning in a way that made shivers run up Cloud's spine. Suddenly the General seemed to flinch and his grin disappeared before he turned back to the window.

Cloud stared at the back of his head, trying to work out what had just happened as Genesis' words repeated in his mind. Was it his imagination or did the General just flirt with him? Cloud leant back in his seat and closed his eyes. Yeah, like the beautiful General Rhapsodos would ever flirt with a lowly soldier such as him. Talk about wishful thinking. The man beside him was a professional and here he was getting turned on by a grin and words that were nothing more than simple moral boosting. His teenage hormones wouldn't listen to the logical argument and instead filled his brain with images of what his body would like him to be doing with Genesis at this moment. He really needed to pull himself together and concentrate on the mission ahead.

**.**

Genesis leant over the railing of the boat, staring out to sea. The cool breeze and rolling waves were the only antidote to his frazzled nerves and mind numbing frustration. Five days of enduring Cloud Strife, only an arms length away but still as untouchable as ever, was slowly killing him. He couldn't even pleasure himself to take the edge off, stuck on this ship with no privacy and walls that were paper thin.

The whole trip was a disaster. He'd actually managed to get thirty minutes of alone time with Cloud on the drive to the docks and had completely wasted it. Instead of using the time to get to know the blond better and open the lines of communication, he'd gone into automatic and flirted with him, using a cliché line that had been typical of his old dating style. After that, he'd been unable to do anything but stare out the window in shame.

Genesis closed his eyes, remembering that morning for the hundredth time. The feel of Cloud's arms when he'd helped the boy up had been the beginning of his failure. Muscles rippled under his fingers with a surprising amount of strength given the blonde's small frame. Then Cloud blushed and stuttered out an apology, his sky blue eyes wide and full of nervousness. Genesis had felt himself harden immediately.

Once in the car, the redhead had looked out the window, trying to control his libido. Then the boy had promised to never disappoint him and he'd sat there staring at him, trying not to take advantage and use Cloud's eagerness and naivety to his own advantage. It would have been so easy to manipulate the blond into bed, as he had to so many others in the past. The line had slipped out and he'd regretted it instantly. He didn't want a quick session of sex that would be regretted later.

A sudden clash of swords snapped his full attention towards the front of the boat. Zack and Cloud were sparring and both men had stripped off their shirts in the heat. They were smiling and laughing together, so at ease with one another that Genesis felt a pang of jealousy. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the blond, hair shinning gold in the sunshine as he danced around in a mock battle with his best friend, his toned upper body on full show for him to enjoy.

Sweat dotted his skin and began to form droplets that slowly ran down his body, following the indentations between his muscles. Genesis wanted to trace those lines with his tongue, savour the salty taste while his hands caressed….oh, Shiva. This line of thought was not helping him at all. He was so hard that it was painful. Fuck. Genesis was sure that this was the goddess' way of punishing him and the redhead reasoned that he probably deserved the torture far more than he would ever deserve Cloud.

**.**

The afternoon of the seventh day of their journey all three soldiers stood on the deck, taking in the view of the city of Esthar. Zack had never seen anything like it in his life. He thought the city resembled something from a science fiction novel with its beautiful glass like buildings of blue and pink. The skies around the city were clear and smog free and everything shined like it was brand new. It was the complete opposite of the cold concrete buildings, dirty streets and hazy skies of Midgar. He couldn't wait to explore it and he found himself jiggling on his feet in excitement.

"Control yourself, soldier," Genesis snapped from beside him, causing him to freeze at the command. The General was annoyingly calm in the face of such an alien environment. Zack glanced at him and caught the man's hand twitching at his side in a subconscious need for his sword and he grinned. Not so unaffected after all, it seemed. Cloud, on the other hand, was staring at the city with his mouth open and his eyes wide. Zack hoped his friend would recover from the shock and regain his control before general 'stick up his ass' noticed and yelled at him too.

When the boat finally finished docking, Genesis lead the way towards the waiting dignitaries with an air of importance and style that was as natural to him as breathing. Zack and Cloud followed behind, playing their roles of support as best as they could in the circumstances. Zack's eyes darted around, looking for signs of danger but found none. Groups of civilians had gathered to watch, curiously staring at the newcomers and whispering amongst themselves in excitement. Genesis smiled at the welcoming committee as they fawned over him, playing his part to perfection. It made Zack feel like puking.

Half an hour later they were standing in the Presidential Palace, waiting to be shown to their accommodations. The room they were in had one whole wall made of glass that gave a panoramic view of the city that was impressive to say the least.

The doors swung open to admit an exotic looking man with dark skin and long braids who flowed into the room with a feline grace. Zack thought he was the leader until the man began to speak, introducing himself as the President's assistant, Kiros. He spoke briefly to the General about tomorrow's meeting before apologizing for the President's absence and offering to show them to their rooms.

The three Soldiers followed Kiros out of the room and along the hallway in silence. It had been a long journey and now that the rush of adrenaline had faded, Zack had to fight the urge to yawn. He nearly walked into Genesis when the General stopped suddenly. Kiros was opening a set of double doors and ushering them inside the room that would be their home for the next eight weeks.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. The bedrooms are down the hall to your right with the bathroom at the far end. I will have dinner sent directly here in an hour. If there is anything else you require during your stay, please feel free to use this intercom. Simply press the star key and you will be connected through to our staff. The line is manned twenty four hours a day so please do not hesitate to use it whenever you need something," Kiros announced. Looking directly at Genesis he continued, "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"Not at this time. Thank you, Kiros," Genesis answered formally, again nodding slightly. Kiros returned the gesture before exiting the doors and pulling them shut behind him. As the doors clicked closed, Zack heard Cloud breathe in deeply and turned to see his friend looking around the room in wonder. Being a country boy himself, he understood Cloud's awe. Their so-called room was more like a high class apartment. It had a lounge room, with a wide screen television, a dining room and a balcony that overlooked the city. All the furniture was expensive looking and Zack was a little afraid to touch any of it. He really didn't belong in such a room and felt uncomfortable to be surrounded by such opulence.

"I am going to rest until dinner arrives," Genesis said before heading down the hallway that Kiros had pointed out. Zack turned to Cloud who was still standing frozen to the spot and chuckled.

"Hey, country boy. How about we watch the T.V. while we wait for dinner?" he asked, grinning at his friend as he sat down on the sofa. Cloud jumped at the sound of his voice and swore under his breath.

"Don't call me that, Zack," he said, trying to frown back at him before giving up and grinning. "Won't the General be pissed if he finds us slacking off in front of the box?"

"Well, we were ordered to collect information. What better way to do that than watching the local channels?" Zack answered, putting on his most persuasive expression. Cloud shook his head and walked over to sink into the seat beside him.

"Okay, Zack. If he freaks, this is totally your idea," Cloud replied. "I already made an ass out of myself in front of him. I really don't need the man to have any more reasons to not like me." Zack glanced over at his friend and noticed that he was blushing slightly. He knew Cloud better than anyone and if the blond blushed when he mentioned someone's name it usually meant he had a crush on them. Zack sent a silent prayer to the gods that he was mistaken. Cloud wouldn't stand a chance against a man like Genesis Rhapsodos. Maybe it would be best not to leave the two alone, just in case.

**.**

Genesis locked the door behind himself, stripped off his clothes and flopped down onto the bed with a sigh, closing his eyes. He really needed some time to relax and enjoy some privacy before he'd be able to think clearly enough for the diplomatic discussions that would begin in the morning.

It only took minutes before thoughts of the blond invaded his mind. He imaged how the boy would blush if he reached forward and touched his face. Those blue eyes would widen in surprise as he leant forward and placed a soft kiss to pink lips. Genesis wondered if the young man's lips would part for him straight away or if he'd have to coax them open with his tongue. Either way, he knew they would be soft and warm and his own lips tingled at the thought.

Genesis let his hands flow over his own chest, teasing his nipples and sighing as he imagined deepening the kiss. His Cloud would whimper softly into his mouth and push against him, shy and wanton all at once. Genesis would move the hand against his cheek down to caress that pale neck while his other had would creep down to grab that firm little ass and pull them together so that their erections would touch. Cloud's reaction would be to move his hands to Genesis' chest, undoing the buttons before caressing his nipples, just as the General was touching them now.

Genesis moaned softly, getting caught up in the fantasy as his too long withheld desire pushed him into speeding up the scenario playing out in his mind. Cloud was on his knees now and both of them were naked. The blond haired boy tilted his head up to look at him, eyes innocent in complete contrast to the tongue that slowly reached out to tease the head of his cock. Genesis imitated the action with his hand, flicking over the top of his already rock hard erection with feather like touches.

He arched back imagining Cloud's mouth descending down with perfectly applied pressure. The blonde would moan around him, bobbing his head up and down as his other hand caressed his testicles gently. As the red heads hands copied his dream, a loud moan escaped him.

How he would love to grab onto that blond, spiky head and hold it still while he pushed back and forth into warm, moist heaven. Those eyes would look up at him while Cloud's hands would move down to his own erection, taking hold of it and stroking it in time with the thrusts into his mouth.

Genesis had hoped to draw out the fantasy but he had been denied release for far too long. His orgasm came quickly and was so hard he called out Cloud's name without reservation, moaning it over and over as the spasms wracked his body.

Breathing hard, he came down from the intense experience, only to frown as he realized the mistake he had made. He had no idea if the two men down the hall had heard him and his own face suddenly burned in embarrassment. At this point, he could only hope that the walls were as thick as they looked.

**.**


	2. Chapter 2

Zack was surprised by the local television stations. Not because of the differences from back home, but because of the similarities. It was all the same crap, just in different settings with different actors. The only major change was the complete lack of government propaganda.

Dinner had arrived and it, at least, had been different. They had received a variety of meals to try that were Estharian favourites as well as some familiar ones from back home. Apparently the chef had done some research to make sure that they would be well fed even if they didn't like the local cuisine. Zack preferred the new food, loving all the new smells and tastes.

After dinner, Genesis had again disappeared back to his room leaving Cloud and him to entertain themselves. Two hours later their conversation turned to play and a wrestling match erupted with hushed laughing and whispered insults. Zack pegged a cushion at his friend's head which missed its target and knocked over a small stone statue that was perched on the table by the entrance. The solid stone figure did not break, much to their relief, but the intercom that it fell on didn't fair as well. Both soldiers stood staring at the crushed device in horror.

"Zack, we are so fucked. Genesis is going to kill us and the Estharians will all think we're a bunch of hooligans. What in Gaia's name are we going to do?" Cloud whispered in a panic, glancing down the hallway nervously in fear of the General's appearance. Luckily, the place seemed to have thick walls and there was no sign of their superior officer.

"I…um…I'll think of something," Zack whispered back. Gods, he had the luck of the damned sometimes. He realized there were only two choices. He would have to sneak out and try to find a replacement in one of the neighbouring rooms or face Genesis and his famous temper…not much to choose from really.

"Zack! We haven't got time for you to think," Cloud whispered again, his voice becoming higher with his distress.

"Look, just calm down buddy. You go to bed and act like nothings wrong. I'll just unplug this one and sneak into one of the other rooms next door and swap it. Genesis is asleep and he'll never even know I'm gone, okay?" Zack said, trying to sound as calm and confident as he could. He could only pray there was another intercom in one of the other rooms and that the doors were unlocked…crap, it wasn't much of a plan but it was all he could come up with at this point.

"Okay, Zack. Just hurry up and make sure no one sees you," Cloud said, his expression more dubious than confident. Zack watched him sneak back down the hallway and turned to unplug the machine and tuck it under his arm. Opening the front door and peering out, he was relieved to find the hall empty and he crept along to the nearest door.

He swore under his breathe when he discovered it was locked, as was the next one and the two across the hall. Praying silently, he continued down the hall around a corner and across a lounge area into another hall, similar looking to their own. Trying doors as he went, he found them all locked. There was one left and he approached it hesitantly. If this one was locked, he would have no option but to return to the room and confess to Genesis what he had done.

Reaching out his hand, he nearly cheered when the door clicked open. Poking his head inside he found the room empty and slid in the door, quietly pulling it closed behind him. There, on the table across the room was another intercom. Finally, his luck was changing for the better. Creeping across the room, he knelt down and began searching for where the machine plugged into the wall. Crawling along on his hands and knees a sudden sound behind him made him turn to find a gun in his face. Okay, so his luck wasn't changing after all.

"Don't shoot! I…um…I'm new around here," he blurted out. So much for all that soldier training he thought, hating how stupid he sounded. Angeal was going to kill him for being so sloppy on the job. Looking past the gun, he saw an older man staring back at him with an eyebrow raised and an amused grin. Long black hair hung down past his shoulders and he was wearing a pair of long, black silk pants and nothing else. Zack's eyes searched the handsome face before him in the hope of salvation. He really didn't want to die on his hands and knees with an intercom under his arm.

"What exactly do you think you're doing crawling around my floor in the middle of the night?" a deep voice asked. Zack gulped at the question. Okay, this was probably a good time to be honest and beg for mercy before things got any worse than they already were.

"I…well…okay, I'll be honest with ya. I'm a guest here and me and my…um…room mate where stuffing around and we…um…kinda knocked over something and it…kinda broke this intercom thingy and…well, you see the General will kill us if he finds out, cause he's got this bad temper and all so I…um…well I thought if I just found another one and swapped it no one would ever know and the General would never find out so I went down the hallway but all the doors where locked so I…um kinda kept looking and this door was the only one open so I looked in and saw the intercom here and thought…well I thought that I'd just swap them…honestly I didn't mean no harm or anything and if you'll just put down the gun, I'll leave right away and go back and take my punishment. Just please don't kill me," Zack rambled, stopping finally to take a deep breath and peer up with his best puppy dog eyes.

"What's the name of your General?" the dark haired man asked.

"G…general Genesis Rhapsodos, Sir. We…um…we're the group from M…midgar, Sir," he answered, winching at his nervous stuttering. Gods, he was making such a complete fool of himself. Maybe his stupidity would make the guy with the gun take pity on him. Well, he could only hope at this point. The gun moved down to point at the floor and Zack sighed in relief.

"From Midgar? Oh, you're part of the group that arrived this afternoon," the man said, smiling down at him and reaching out a hand. "Let me help you up." Zack stared at the hand for a couple of seconds before grabbing it and standing up.

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you, Sir. I'll just leave and I won't bother you again," Zack blurted out, turning for the door. The hand holding his didn't let go and he was forced to stop, turning back nervously towards the older man.

"Please, my apologies for the gun. I'm just not used to people sneaking into my room in the middle of the night. How about we start new and you tell me your name?" the dark haired stranger began, smiling at him. Zack scratched the back of his head nervously before smiling back.

"Um…okay. My names Zack Fair, Sir. I'm a first class soldier from Midgar and I'm pleased to meet you," he said, wishing he could get this guy to let go of his hand. Not that it wasn't nice standing here looking at that handsome face and well toned chest…actually it was kind of nice to look at his chest, though standing here staring at it probably wasn't the best idea when this guy was still holding his gun. Pulling his eyes up to the strangers face he added, "And may I ask for your name, Sir?"

"My name is Laguna Loire, President of Esthar and I am very pleased to meet you, Zack Fair," the man answered. Zack's jaw dropped open and he nearly choked on his tongue. President of Esthar? He'd just snuck into the President's bedroom and tried to steal his intercom…Gods, he was so fucked.

**.**

Cloud waited in his room nervously, pacing the floor and chewing on his nails. Where the hell was Zack? It'd been over half an hour since he'd left and Cloud was beginning to panic. Had someone caught him out in the hall? Maybe he'd been arrested and thrown in jail…gods, he hoped not. Getting evicted from the country over a pillow fight would surely get him thrown out of soldier at the very least. At the worst, the General would skewer him on that pretty red sword of his.

Cloud froze as he heard a door open and footsteps on the other side of his door. Silence followed as he held his breath. Hades, this was too much. He had to go out there and check if that was Zack. There was no way he'd ever get to sleep otherwise. Letting out his breath, he slowly opened his bedroom door and peered out into the hall. Nobody was there and he couldn't hear anything. Taking a few breaths and finding his courage, he crept out and headed for the lounge room. Still nobody…damn, he was sure he heard someone. Shaking his head at his over active imagination, he turned to find himself face to chest with the General and jumped backwards in shock.

"Fuck!" he shouted before he could stop himself. Genesis' arms shot out and grabbed him, preventing him from falling back onto the glass coffee table. Cloud looked up into piercing eyes and a frowning face. Oh gods help him.

"Cloud, what's wrong? And why are you sneaking around in the middle of the night?"

"I…um…I was just…I thought I heard someone out here so I came to check, Sir," he babbled out. "I'm sorry," he finished lamely. Great, another example of his complete and utter incompetence.

"Oh, nice to see you are on your toes, soldier. I am sorry if I startled you," Genesis said softly, looking down at him with a sexy grin. No…not a sexy grin, but a sleepy grin, Cloud thought, mentally slapping himself. He really didn't want to think sexy Genesis thoughts while the man was standing right in front of him.

"Thank you, Sir," Cloud replied, failing to stop his eyes when they decided to betray him and glance down. Genesis was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Oh, crap. It hung low on his hips, revealing far too much for the hormonal teenager to resist.

"Sorry about my state of undress," Genesis said softly, his voice snapping Cloud out of his daze instantly and making the blond look back up while his face turned red. Cloud felt himself harden in his boxer shorts, which of cause reminded him that he was standing in just his boxer shorts which would be tenting at the front. His blush deepened to what he was sure was a horrible purple colour. Oh no, this could not be happening to him.

"Since you are doing such a good job of protecting us, I will return to my room. See you in the morning, Cloud," Genesis said, finally letting go of his arms and turning away. Cloud let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in and almost died of relief. He watched as the General walked down the hall to his room, putting a hand on the doorknob before pausing and looking him up and down.

"Oh, Cloud? I have to tell you how much I like your pajamas. Very cute," he chuckled with another one of those grins that make Cloud tingle in all the right places. The blond just stared at him as he went into his room and closed the door. Looking down at his pants, Cloud was mortified to realize he had on the shorts that his mother had given him when he left to become a soldier. They were black and covered in little multicoloured chocobos and love hearts. Add that to his obvious erection and his mortification was complete. Hades, he was going to beat the shit out of Zack when he got back. That is, if he didn't die of embarrassment in the meantime.

**.**

"Zack? Are you alright?" Laguna asked as he snapped his fingers in front of the young man's face. The spiky haired soldier didn't answer him or even close his gapping mouth, so he reached a hand up to grab a shoulder and gently shake the frozen young man to try and gain a response. "Hey, snap out of it. You're starting to worry me."

The young man's eyes blinked rapidly and his mouth closed as his attention focused back to the older man standing in front of him. Laguna smiled at Zack as his hand stayed on the soldiers shoulder in a gesture that he hoped was comforting. This was the first time he'd gotten such an extreme reaction from announcing who he was. Then again, it was the first time he'd found someone crawling around his rooms in the middle of the night too.

"M…Mr President. I am so sorry, I didn't know this was your room. If I'd known I would of never, ever just walked in here and tried to take your intercom, I swear. Please don't throw me in jail," Zack said, eyes big and obviously frightened. Laguna had to admit that this was the first time in his life that somebody had actually been frightened of him. He was a little guilty that he'd made a young, strong warrior who could kick his ass in a heartbeat tremble before him. Talk about an ego boost.

"It's fine, really and don't worry. I wouldn't throw a guest in jail for getting lost in my home. Now, how about a drink? Coffee, tea or something?" Laguna said while using the hand on the soldier's shoulders to move him towards the lounge. Zack didn't fight his lead and dropped into the seat still looking shell shocked.

"Um, a coffee would be great," the soldier whispered. Laguna walked over to his intercom, made a quick order and returned to sit next to his guest.

"So, how about taking that out from under your arm and telling me what happened," the older man asked. Zack blushed and scratched the back of his head again as he removed the broken machine from under his arm and chuckled.

"It's um…well, me and Cloud, he's the other soldier who came with the General and me, we were a bit bored and we started messing around with the cushions and Cloud's one fast little sh…I mean soldier, so when I threw one, he ducked and it hit this stone thingy which fell over on the intercom. Oh, but the stone thingy is fine so don't worry about it but as you can see the intercom didn't make it," Zack rambled as he turned the machine over in his hands. "I know it was really stupid and immature of me to try and swap it and I'm sorry but we just wanted to make a good impression and now I've just made everything ten times worse. Please don't judge my country by the way I act because I'm really not a good example to go by."

"Really? Well, that's a shame because I find you to be very honest and entertaining," Laguna replied, grinning back. He really did like this young man and was surprised to find a warrior of such high rank that still had such a strong sense of innocence about him. "Will your General honestly be so upset over something so trivial?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. Genesis Rhapsodos takes his job very seriously and would spend half the night yelling at me if he found out. Wouldn't put it past him to make me sleep out on the balcony for the next week, either. My mentor, General Hewley, grew up with Genesis and always said that he was born with three natural talents. Charming people, punishing people and killing people…kind of strange combination, if you ask me," Zack said casually, seemingly forgetting to whom he was taking.

"I take it you two don't get along on a social level, then," Laguna prodded.

"Nah. The General's tend to socialize with each other most of the time, though the job keeps them so busy they don't have a lot of free time," Zack said.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of their coffee and Zack looked surprised when a trolley with coffee and various snacks was wheeled in by a woman dressed immaculately. Laguna thanked her and she smiled widely at him before giving him a wink and a giggle that was obviously an invitation. The President ignored it completely, busying himself with the coffees until the woman gave up and left with a huff. Honestly, he wished Kiros would just give into his wishes and hire more male staff.

"Wow, are all the ladies in Esthar that forward?" Zack muttered, taking the coffee that Laguna handed him.

"Ahh, well it's beginning to look like that, around the Presidential Palace at least. Seems the media decided about a year ago that the old man in charge needs a wife and the 'throw yourself at the President' behaviour started not long after. At first, it was kind of flattering but that wore off pretty quickly," Laguna said with a sigh. "They just want the position and all the trappings that go with it. None of them are really interested in me."

"You're kidding? Gods, that would never happen with our President back home. Then again he's not handsome like you are," Zack blurted out before his eyes widened and his face went beet red. Laguna pretended not to notice as he fiddled with his coffee, feeling more than a little chuffed that the good looking young soldier had called him handsome. Finding Zack crawling around his lounge room floor was turning out to be a lucky turn, considering how hard it was for him to make new friends. It was so refreshing to meet someone new who seemed to have no hidden agenda.

"Thank you, Zack. That's very kind of you to say," Laguna said softly, hoping to take the edge of the soldier's embarrassment. He downed the last of his coffee and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Since you've been so kind in hanging around and keeping me company, I think we can keep your little accident between ourselves. After all, your General sounds like he'd only get upset and I'd hate to have you sleeping on the balcony in this cold weather. I'll give you my intercom and nobody will ever be the wiser, okay?" Laguna said as he stood and turned towards the soldier.

"Honestly? Thank you so much Mr President. This really means a lot to me. It's very kind of you to not tell Genesis that I stuffed up so badly on my first night here. I swear that Cloud and I will not throw cushions in the room ever again," Zack promised, standing up and smiling brightly at him. Damned, the man almost glowed when he smiled like that. Getting to know the visitors better would be more fun than he first imagined. "It's been an honor to meet you, Mr President. I hope to make a much better impression on you in the future."

"It's been an honor to meet you too, Zack. Just remember two things for me. One, next time try knocking on my door so I don't accidentally shoot you," he stated as he walked over and unplugged his intercom, wrapping the cord around the machine before passing it to the soldier. "Secondly, please call me Laguna."

**.**

Zack snuck back into their apartment without a sound, relieved that he came across nobody in the hallways. His mind was still spinning over meeting the President of Esthar and he couldn't help but relive it over in his head. Gods, the older man was so nice and damn hot to boot. He could only hope he got the chance to see him again.

"Zack Fair, I hate you so much right now," an angry voice growled from behind him. He turned only to get a cushion straight in the face.

"Hey, no fair! I got the intercom," he whined at the very pissed off figure of Cloud that glared at him across the room.

"I'm glad you got the intercom, Zack. I'm pissed because you took so long. Genesis caught me wandering around in my pajamas," Cloud replied. Zack almost chuckled at the blonde's embarrassment until what his friend had said sunk in.

"He didn't try anything funny, did he?" Zack said softly, concern for the smaller man evident in his voice. Even if Genesis was a General, he would still try and kick the guy's ass if he tried to take advantage of Cloud.

"What do you mean by that?" Cloud asked.

"I…um…just tell me what happened when you saw him." Cloud was looking at him suspiciously, but his friend eventually sighed and answered.

"Nothing happened. Luckily, he didn't notice you were gone. I spun him a line about coming out to check on a noise I heard and he just went back to bed. Damn it, Zack, I was in these," Cloud said, pointing down at his pants. "I looked like a complete knob in front of the General and it's all your fault!" Cloud grumbled. Zack looked down at what his friend was wearing and snickered. Rainbow chocobos and love hearts really did suit Cloud, although he could only imagine what Genesis thought of Cloud's pants.

"Chill out, Cloud. He probably didn't even notice. The guys so wrapped up in himself he can't see past his own nose," Zack scoffed.

"He said they were cute! Cute is not what I'm trying to project here, Zack," Cloud muttered, walking over to flop into the lounge. Zack frowned at his friend's words. What the hell was he talking about?

"What exactly are you trying to project?" he asked worriedly, walking over to sit next to his friend.

"Mature and competent soldier so I get a good report for this mission. I hardly think cute will get me anywhere. Damn it, why the hell are you asking such stupid questions anyway Zack? And you still haven't told me why you took so long."

"You'll get a good report, so don't stress so much buddy. My questions…well…I'm just tired, that's all," he said quickly. He really didn't want to have to discuss the General's love life with Cloud right now. "I took awhile because all the doors were locked in this hall. I found another hallway and luckily one of those rooms was open so here it is," he finished, holding out his prize.

"Well, at least you got the intercom. We better plug it in and hit the sack. Genesis did say he expected us up early to go with him to meet the President," Cloud said, standing up and yawning.

"Okay, you go to bed. I'll just set this up and turn in too. You're not still pissed at me, are you?" Zack asked. The blond chuckled before reaching up to whack him in the back of the head lightly.

"I never could stay mad at you, Zack," Cloud laughed. Zack could only grin back in relief.

**.**


	3. Chapter 3

Genesis hugged his coffee in his hands as he stared out across the city of Esthar. He was reliving last night's interlude with Cloud over and over in his mind, savouring the sight of the blond in his boxer shorts. Genesis had been more than surprised that the object of his desire had reacted to him in obvious attraction. The warmth that spread forth from that hope filled him with optimism for the future that he grasped on to with both hands.

Add that to the solitude of his own room, giving him the opportunity to take the edge of his frustration and he finally could concentrate on the job before him. Cloud wandered out of the hall, hair mussed and face dopey. Genesis smiled at the young man's cuteness, even on waking.

"Good morning, Cloud," he said happily. "Did you sleep well?" The blond jumped at his voice and stared wide eyed at him until his brain seemed to snap into gear.

"Oh…um…Good morning, Sir," he mumbled out. Cloud's eyes darted around the room until they found the clock and widened at the time. "Sorry to wake up so late, Sir. I'll be ready in five minutes." He turned back towards his bedroom with a look full of panic.

"Cloud, wait," Genesis called after him. Cloud stopped in his tracks and turned back towards him. "The meeting has been pushed back to 11 o'clock, so there is no hurry. Please sit down, eat something and relax." He moved back to the dinner table and sat down, holding Cloud's eyes and pulling out his friendliest smile, hoping that the soldier would accept.

"Thank you, Sir," Cloud replied, blushing as he come back and sat down across from Genesis. Breaking eye contact, Cloud looked over the food before him.

"These Estharians certainly know how to make their guests feel welcome. I believe there is enough food here to feed a small army," the redhead joked. Cloud looked back at him and smiled brightly, causing butterflies to take flight in the General's stomach.

"I've never seen so much food for just three people. Then again, Zack could probably eat it all in one go," Cloud replied causing Genesis to widen his smile. If what Angeal had told him was true, Zack was an unrefined boar when it came to food.

"Angeal told me that once he let Zack stay in his apartment for three days when he was away on a mission. When he came back, the boy had completely emptied his fridge and cupboards and judging by the rubbish bin full of take away containers, it still had not been enough," Genesis chuckled out. Cloud began to laugh too, the sound tickled along the General's spine in the most pleasant way.

"Hey, nobody told me breakfast was here," Zack's sleepy voice called out from down the hall and both the men at the table began to laugh harder. The dark haired soldier appeared at the entrance to the hall looking sleepy and frowning at both of them.

"What's so funny?"

"Zack, just sit down and eat," Cloud said, not bothering to explain. The blond wiped his eyes and smiled across the table at Genesis.

So this is that feeling Angeal had tried to explain to him. It was like a warmth that spread through him and made him feel happy, excited and more alive than he had in years. The realization that his obsession was morphing into love hit him hard and he struggled to keep his expression blank. Looking over he saw that neither of his subordinates had noticed.

Zack was babbling on at Cloud and the blond listened intently to his every word. Seeing the closeness between the two made Genesis' temper flare. How could he ever develop anything with Cloud if that childish oaf kept getting in the way?

Pushing all his emotions down, he slowly stood. Cloud looked up at the movement, smiling at him again and Genesis thought he saw affection in those blue eyes.

"I am going to prepare for the meeting. Kiros should be here to collect us in around two hours," he stated flatly. Genesis headed for his room, trying to control the urge to permanently remove Zack from between Cloud and himself.

**.**

Zack stood in the bathroom looking at his reflection critically. He'd been in here trying to get his hair just right but for some reason it still looked wrong.

"Zack, what are you doing? You've been in there for twenty minutes and it's time to go. Genesis is pissed at you and Kiros just turned up," Cloud whispered from the other side of the door. He opened it to find Cloud frowning at him. "Come on, it's not like there's going to be any girls there for you to impress."

"You never know, Cloud. Besides, I noticed you took your time doing your own hair this morning," he teased back with a grin. Cloud blushed at his words and mumbled something before turning and walking back to the lounge with Zack following.

Genesis was standing in the doorway with Kiros when they walked out of the hall. The President's assistant greeted Cloud, shaking his hand before turning to Zack and doing the same. As Zack looked at the President's Assistant he saw Kiros' smile disappear when their eyes met. It only lasted a few seconds and then they were walking out the door, Zack taken back at the hostility he had sensed from the other man.

He was still trying to process possible reasons behind it when they arrived at the meeting and was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Genesis and Cloud had already entered, leaving him alone in the hallway with Kiros. When he looked up, the President's assistant was blocking the entry and glaring at him.

"I will be watching you, Zackary Fair," he growled softly, turning and entering the room. What the hell was that about? Obviously Laguna had told his assistant about Zack's late night visit but it wasn't like he'd threatened the President. Maybe he'd said something insulting and offended the leader without realizing it.

He hurried into the room avoiding a questioning look from the General to take his seat beside him. Cloud sat on the other side of Genesis and seemed nervous as he fiddled with his shirt while they waited for the President to arrive.

"One moment please," Kiros announced, leaving through a door on the far side of the room.

"Zackary, what the hell is going on?" Genesis hissed in his ear. Fuck. He hadn't even considered that the General would have heard Kiros' threat due to his enhanced hearing.

"I have no idea, Sir," Zack answered flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on the door that Kiros had disappeared into. He was saved from further questioning by Kiros' return and the three soldiers stood up. The President followed behind his assistant, long black hair tied up in a ponytail and his black suit making him look regal and untouchable. Zack couldn't tear his eyes away from him.

"Gentlemen, I present Laguna Loire, President of Esthar," Kiros stated before introducing each of them to Laguna. As he was told their names, Laguna smiled and shook their hands, starting with Genesis and ending with Zack. The President didn't seem to recognize him at all and gave him the same generic greeting that he'd given the other two soldiers. Zack felt a stab of disappointment at being ignored before he reminded himself that it was just Laguna keeping his promise to not let the General find out about last night.

They all took their seats, the President across from Genesis with Kiros beside him facing Zack. He tuned out when the discussions turned to trade agreements and tried to entertain himself by watching Laguna. The older man was charming and sharp, far from the pushover that the Shinra briefing had made him out to be. Zack really wanted to spend more time alone with Laguna but he realized it was nothing but a dream. He was sure the President had far more important things to do than spend his free time with a nobody like him who broke intercoms and snuck into people's rooms in the middle of the night.

Genesis was busy reading some information on a printout when Laguna turned his eyes on Zack, winking at him with a grin which Zack automatically returned. The President's professional mask fell back in place and he turned back to the General. It was only once but it made Zack feel better instantly because it showed that the President wasn't angry at him. He glanced over at Kiros and found the man still glaring at him and he sighed in frustration.

It was three o'clock when the meeting wrapped up for the day. Zack stood slowly, stiff from spending four hours in the same position. His ass was completely numb and he had to resist the urge to rub it. Laguna excused himself and exited back out the door he had come in, leaving Kiros to finish off the formalities.

"General Rhapsodos, may I have a word with you?" Kiros asked with a smile. Genesis' eyebrow went up but he nodded and followed the man over to the windows at the far side of the room. Zack swallowed nervously and prayed that Kiros wasn't about to tell Genesis about his late night adventures. He really didn't feel like being screamed at by the redhead right now. Cloud nudged him gently, looking up at him in concern.

"What's wrong, Zack? You've spent the whole meeting pouting like a two year old. I thought getting a wink and a smile from the President would've cheered you up," Cloud whispered. Zack pulled back to gape at his friend.

"You saw that?" he whispered back.

"Yeah and I saw Kiros glaring at you the whole time too. You gonna fill me in or what?" Zack was trying to come up with some kind of explanation when Genesis appeared beside them.

"Back to our rooms, now," the General hissed, walking past them and glaring at him. Zack seriously considered throwing himself out the nearest window. Instead he sighed and put his head down, following the General and Cloud down the hallway.

**.**

Cloud could feel the anger radiating off the General in waves as he followed him down the hall. He glanced at Zack beside him and saw his friend with his head down, not taking his eyes off his feet as he walked. What was going on? They'd only been here twenty four hours and somehow Zack had managed to get himself into shit already. He hadn't even been out of their rooms...realization hit Cloud like a smack to the head. Last night during the intercom fiasco, Zack hadn't come back for about an hour. What the hell had he done during that time?

Genesis threw the doors to their rooms open with a bang and stalked inside. Zack dragged his feet as he trudged past Cloud who stopped to close the doors. The blond turned around just in time to see the General punch Zack in the face, sending the smaller man flying back onto his ass. He froze in fear, staring open mouthed at Genesis as he stalked forward, grabbing the front of Zack's shirt and lifting him off the ground with one arm to slam him into the doors.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" the General screamed in his face. "You broke into the President's bedroom and tried to steal something. Have you totally lost your fucking mind?" Zack's nose was bleeding and he struggled to breathe but his arms stayed down at his sides despite everything. He didn't even attempt to defend himself from his superior's assault. Genesis' face twisted in rage and as the General lifted his fist once more Cloud panicked. He jumped forward and grabbed the fist, hanging off it in his attempt to save his friend.

"Please stop!" he yelled, staring up at Genesis with a look of complete terror. The General flung his arm to the side, sending Cloud flying. The last thing he remembered was excruciating pain before everything went black.

**.**

Zack sat in the hospital chair, staring at the still form of his best friend with tears running down his face. This was all his fault, every last bit of it. Because of him Cloud was lying here with a cracked skull. Worst of all, there was no possible way he could ever fix this. He'd finally managed to fuck up everything with his immature bullshit. It should be him lying in a hospital bed, not Cloud whose only crime was trusting his best friend and trying to protect him.

He heard the door behind him open but he didn't turn around. Frozen in his seat, he really couldn't bring himself to care who was there. All he could do was stare at Cloud. A part of him hoped that it was Genesis returning to finish him off.

"Zack?" a soft voice called, but he paid it no mind, continuing to ignore the person, even when a warm hand came down to rest on his shoulder. "Zack, please look at me."

How could this happen? Gods, he knew Genesis would be pissed off but he never thought the General would explode like he did. If he'd thought for a minute that Genesis would ever hurt Cloud…fuck…what he thought didn't matter now. What mattered was Cloud getting better. What mattered was him somehow finding the General and making him come back, even if he had to take another beating from the man. If he returned to Midgar without the redhead, President Shinra would either have him and Cloud shot or give them to professor Hojo…funny how that choice made being shot sound attractive.

"Please, Zack," the voice called again and he could hear desperation clinging to the words. The hand moved from his shoulder to join with another and cup his face as someone moved to kneel in front of him and block his view. His eyes focused on the face before him and he flinched back when recognition hit. Laguna looked like someone had ripped his heart out. Great…another victim to his stupidity.

"Zack, I'm so sorry. I…I never thought for a second that Kiros would ever tell Genesis. He swore he would tell no one and if I thought for a second that he would, I would have never told him. I…" The President's voice caught and he struggled to continue. "In Shiva's name, please just say something," he begged.

"It's all my fault," Zack whispered, staring into that handsome face that was so full of hurt. Hurt that he had put there.

"No, this is not all your fault. Don't you, even for a second think that this is your fault," Laguna said, a spark of anger in his eyes catching hold of Zack's wondering mind and making him focus.

"Of course it's my fault. It was me who broke into your room in the middle of the night." His voice began to rise in volume them, anger at himself rising up to burn in his throat.

"If I'd just acted like the soldier I'm supposed to fucking be, none of this would have happened!" Before he could continue Laguna's arms flew around him, pulling him down off the chair and onto the floor into a firm embrace.

That was when something broke deep inside of him. It was like a floodgate being opened and he couldn't stop the sobs that burst forward as he fell apart in the President's arms.

**.**


	4. Chapter 4

Laguna stomped through the hallways of the Presidential Palace the next morning with a look that sent people scurrying out of his way. He burst through the doors of his assistant's private rooms and jumped onto the bed, straddling the man and shoving the barrel of his gun under the startled man's chin.

"You have one minute to convince me that I shouldn't just blow your head off right now!" he screamed. His whole body was shaking with anger. The damage that Kiros had caused was unforgivable.

"L…Laguna. What the fuck is going on?" Kiros blurted out, confused and disorientated with being woken up by the raging President.

"You now have fifty seconds. I suggest you use it," Laguna growled, clicking off the safety and pushing the gun harder against his assistant's throat.

"Fuck, Laguna! What in Shiva's name are you talking about?" Kiros yelled, finally waking up enough to realize that he was in serious trouble.

"I'm talking about one missing General, a boy in the hospital with a cracked skull and another who looks like he ran face first into a truck! All, because of you and your fucking untrustworthy, big mouth!" Laguna screamed. "Well? Thirty seconds left!"

"Laguna! You can't just shoot me, for god's sake. I don't know what the hell you are talking about. Please, just…just move the fucking gun and we can talk about this," Kiros begged, his eyes wide and still full of confusion. Laguna stared at him, breathing hard and trying to decide what to do.

He was so angry after spending all night sitting in that hospital room holding Zack as he fell to pieces next to the bed of his broken friend. All because of Kiros' backhanded betrayal of his trust. All because his assistant was so fucking over protective of him that he wouldn't let anyone get near him.

"Laguna, please! Just…put down the gun and tell me what I've done," Kiros whispered. "At least give me a chance to explain."

"You told the General," was all he said, clicking the safety on and moving the gun to rest against his side. "I trusted you and…and now everything has gone to hell."

"I…," Kiros' eyes clouded over in thought and Laguna stared down at his gun, waiting impatiently. "The General's gone and the other two are hurt because I told him about the intercom?" The President nodded slowly, still not able to look at his so-called best friend.

"But…but I didn't…I just told him so he'd tell the boy off and stop him from wandering around at night. Laguna, what the fuck happened," Kiros murmured, the worry in his voice clear.

"The General beat the shit out of Zack and when Cloud tried to intervene he threw him into a wall. After that, he just seems to have disappeared. Zack called for medical help with the intercom. Luckily, Casey was manning the line and ran me immediately. So far only the medical staff that treated them know about it and they've all been told to keep their mouths shut," Laguna rattled off, running a hand through his hair. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now? The General is one of those damn 'super soldiers' that intelligence told us about so only the gods know how we're ever going to find him. Cloud has a fractured skull and still hasn't woken up and Zack…fuck he's falling apart."

"Laguna I…I'm so sorry. If I'd thought for a second that he was going to hurt them, I would never have told him. Fuck, he was always so polite and controlled. Tell me what I can do to make this better." Laguna didn't answer. He got up off the bed and simply stood there staring at his feet. Kiros was right. There was no way to foresee that telling Genesis would cause the man to react the way he had. The problem was now, he didn't know who to blame which meant there was nowhere for his anger to go.

"I need you to get together a group who can be trusted to search the city for any sign of Genesis. If this gets out, that fucking crazy Shinra President will probably declare war on us for taking away one of his prize fighters. While the cities automated defence systems will keep us safe from any sea or air attacks by their army, if just one of the other two Generals got inside the city walls we'd all be fucked. We can only hope that Genesis' loss of control was only temporary and try to find and talk some sense into him. I think he would have started killing people by now if he planned on doing so." Laguna finally looked up into the eyes of his best friend. "Can I trust you with this, Kiros?"

"Let me prove to you that you can, Laguna," Kiros said as he stood and faced the President. "I can't take back what I did but I can show you that it will never happen again." Laguna just nodded and walked out of the room.

**.**

Zack opened his eyes to find himself in the hospital room with Cloud. There were only two beds in the private room and Laguna must have moved him onto one after he'd fallen asleep in the President's arms on the floor. He got up off the bed slowly, his head thumping and eyesight blurring. When his sight finally cleared he walked into the bathroom to relieve himself before washing his hands and looking up into the mirror above the sink.

Bandages covered his nose from the doctors resetting the break and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like hell but he could feel that the mako in his blood was doing its job to speed up his recovery as the swelling had already gone down significantly from last night.

Walking out to sit back in the chair next to Cloud's bed he put his head in his hands and tried to think. He remembered Genesis' rage, how frightened he'd been of the General at that moment. Zack had controlled the urge to fight back in the hope that one hit would be enough but the look in those mako orbs had told him it wasn't to be. He'd seen that look before in battle and he knew what it meant. The redhead was going to keep hitting him until he killed him.

Cloud had saved his life by intervening but paid a heavy price for his heroics. He could still see the blond hanging from Genesis' fist with a look of complete terror shining out from his eyes as he'd begged the General to stop. Cloud had been tossed aside with a flick as if he was nothing but a minor distraction. As soon as he'd hit the wall Genesis' eyes had opened wide in shock and the anger had disappeared. Zack had been released to fall to the ground on his hands and knees, trying to breathe through the blood that filled his nose and mouth. A noise that sounded like something between a sob and scream had erupted from the redhead and he'd run past Zack and out the door.

It was like some kind of fucked up nightmare. Only this morning they'd all been sitting together and having breakfast. Now Cloud wouldn't wake up and Genesis was gone. No matter what Laguna said, this had all started because of him. He felt so lost and wanted to be back in Laguna's embrace. After slobbering all over the President last night, he didn't think that the man was going to come back. The door opened and proved him wrong as Laguna came inside and he stood up to greet him. Without pausing the older man took him in his arms. Zack hugged him back so tightly that the President squeaked.

"Sorry about that," Zack mumbled into his neck.

"How you feeling this morning," Laguna asked as his hands rubbed Zack's back in a soothing motion.

"I'd feel better if Cloud woke up," Zack whispered as tears threatened to fall. He held them back and swallowed it down. Being the only one left standing, it was up to him to sort out this chaos and he couldn't do that if he kept falling apart.

"I just talked to the doctor and she said that he is healing fast. I take it that's normal for soldiers?" Laguna asked.

"Yeah, it's the mako in our blood. My nose should be fully healed in a week or two." Zack pulled back to look into the older man's eyes. "Thank you for everything, Laguna." The President smiled back and reached up a hand to move a stray strand from the young man's face.

"I've got people out looking for your lost General but we're keeping it quiet. If we find any signs of him, you'll be the first to know." Zack just pulled him back against his chest in response and sighed.

"Is this why Genesis beat the fuck out of us," a weak voice asked from the bed and Zack turned around to find Cloud smiling weakly at him.

"Cloud!" he yelled and the blond flinched at the sound. "Shit, sorry buddy," he continued, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I didn't mean to deafen you. Just so fucking good to see you awake and talking." He was smiling so hard at his friend that his nose began to throb.

"You didn't answer my question," Cloud insisted, looking up at Zack.

"Um…well…no. Laguna was just comforting me 'cause I was so upset and all…," Zack's voice trailed off in a very unconvincing way and Cloud began to laugh.

"You two look like a couple of kids caught kissing by their parents," the blond giggled. Zack turned around to see Laguna blushing furiously behind him. He thought the older man looked even more attractive when he was embarrassed.

"I…I'll just go and get the doctor," the President stuttered out, before fleeing the room. Zack smiled after him before turning back to his friend who was still giggling.

"I think they better cut the dosage on your pain meds, little buddy."

"Yeah you might be right there." Cloud stopped laughing and sighed before a shadow crossed his face. "Hey, Zack? What happened to Genesis?"

"He stopped when you hit the wall. It was like he clicked back to normal and…and then he ran. Cloud, I'm sorry. If I hadn't…."

"Don't you even think about blaming yourself for this, Zack. Genesis must be sick or…or something! General's don't try and kill their men," Cloud said, cutting Zack off. "Where did he go?"

"We haven't been able to find him yet…," Zack trailed off. Cloud had no idea that Genesis' temper was known to get out of hand, although Zack had never heard of the redhead ever getting this mad at someone before.

"Zack, we have to find him. If Shinra gets wind of this, they'll hunt him down and blame us. I don't want to get thrown out of soldier," Cloud begged.

Before Zack could say anything else the doctor came back in and ordered him out to wait in the hall so she could check Cloud over. He was relieved to find the President standing there and smiled at the slight blush that still painted the older man's cheeks.

"How about we grab a coffee while we wait?" Laguna asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, okay," Zack replied, following the President down the hall. He knew finding Genesis was their only option but he couldn't help worrying what would happen when they did.

**.**

Laguna met with Kiros after leaving Zack with Cloud in the hospital. The doctor had told them that the blond would be released back to their suite in the next week or two as long as he kept healing at the same rate and there were no complications.

Kiros greeted him formally when he entered the President's office and Laguna sighed, too emotionally and physically drained to ignore it.

"Damn it, Kiros. I'm still pissed at you but that doesn't mean we aren't friends anymore. Call me Laguna or I'll fucking throw something at you," he growled out. Kiros' eyebrow rose up at the President's words and a grin spread across his face.

"I'm very happy you still consider me a friend, Laguna," his assistant replied. "Though as a friend, I feel I must tell you to get some rest. You get terribly grumpy when you don't sleep." Laguna glared at him across his desk before closing his eyes. Maybe his friend had a point.

"I plan on getting some sleep as soon as I finish with you so the sooner we get on with this, the sooner I can sleep," Laguna muttered, opening his eyes to look at his friend. "Has there been any sign of Genesis?"

"Our men are investigating some leads as we speak. As soon as I hear anything, you will be the first to know. Laguna, please go and rest," Kiros insisted. "Look, I need to apologize to them both anyway." Laguna tried to hold back a yawn but failed.

"Okay, you win. Just don't be a prick to Zack. He's got a lot on his mind and he doesn't need to deal with your hostility right now," Laguna growled out as he stood and walked around his desk. Kiros smiled at the President and reached out to squeeze his shoulder.

"I will be on my best behaviour, I promise. After all, I do not want to wake up with your gun in my face again. It wasn't a very pleasant experience."

**.**

Zack looked up, expecting to see Laguna entering the room. He was disappointed to find Kiros instead. The President's assistant bowed deeply to him and Cloud, keeping his head downcast as he spoke.

"I owe both of you my most humblest apologies. What I did was not only a breach of Laguna's trust, it also endangered both of your lives. My intention was to protect the President from what I perceived to be a threat to his security. I over reacted and will do whatever is in my power to assist in fixing what I have caused to transpire," Kiros said softly.

Zack stared at Laguna's assistant. Well, he hadn't seen that one coming.

"I….umm," he mumbled, glancing back at Cloud who looked just as shocked. Scratching his head he ran what Kiros had said over in his mind once more and found it did make sense and besides, they needed all the help they could get.

"You were only trying to keep Laguna safe and I've gotta respect that," Zack said before walking over and holding out his hand to Kiros. "How about we start over and just forget it ever happened." Kiros looked up at him, surprise clear on his face as he shook Zack's hand.

"I think I'm beginning to understand what Laguna sees in you," Kiros said with a grin.

**.**


	5. Chapter 5

Twelve days later there had still been no word of the General's whereabouts and Zack was beginning to believe he wasn't coming back. He was sitting alone in Laguna's office, waiting for the President to arrive so they could eat lunch together. It was a habit they had fallen into since Cloud had been hospitalized. Staring out the window, lost in thought, the young soldier did not even notice Laguna's entrance through the door behind him.

"Zack, I'm so sorry I'm late. Got held up by the finance minister. I swear, that man could talk under wet cement," Laguna said walking over to stand beside him. Zack turned towards him nodding absently.

"Hey, it's fine. Not like I've got anything better to do at the moment," he said, flinching at how snarky his line had come out. Zack wasn't angry at Laguna, he was just frustrated and sick of sitting around and staring at four walls all day.

"Is everything okay, Zack?" Laguna asked as he reached up to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Laguna. Didn't mean to snip at you, it's just so frustrating waiting around with nothing to do," he replied, watching the handsome man's face fill with relief at his words. Zack honestly loved spending time with the President and looked forward to their time together, no matter how brief.

"I think you need a distraction and I have the perfect idea. How about you and I go out and look around the city tonight? I remember you telling me yesterday about this 'Christmas day' that you celebrate back in Midgar and I thought you might like to buy a present for Cloud," Laguna suggested, smiling brightly at him. Zack beamed at the mention of Christmas and he really would like to surprise his friend this year. With all of Cloud's family passed on, it would probably be the only present the blond would receive.

"I'd love too! Are you sure you can just wander out of the Palace, though? I don't want Kiros riding my ass again."

"Don't worry; I sneak down there all the time. The place is empty at night because the shops are closed. All we have to do is phone ahead and they'll open for us," Laguna explained with a grin.

"Oh, cool to be king, eh?" Zack joked, missing the warmth of the President's hand on his shoulder when Laguna removed it to smack his shoulder lightly.

"Hey! I'm not a king. The people can still turf me out on my butt whenever they feel like it," Laguna responded, chuckling.

**.**

Cloud walked towards the suite, rolling his eyes at his friend who was bouncing along beside him. Finally, he'd been released from the hospital and could enjoy the privacy of his own room. Zack was his best friend but after two weeks of being stuck in a hospital room, all he wanted was quiet and solitude.

On entering their 'home', he slumped down on the lounge and took a deep breath before turning to face his friend who was fussing around him.

"Zack! Stop now," he ordered, looking at his friend flatly. "I know you're trying to help but you're driving me nuts. I'm better, completely healed so can you stop mothering me."

"Hey buddy, whatever you want," Zack said smiling brightly as he dropped down beside him into the sofa. "So, you wanna watch the box, listen to music or eat something?"

"If I do, I can do it myself. Now go! You're supposed to be meeting the President in fifteen minutes and you shouldn't be late," Cloud insisted, thanking the gods that Laguna had invited Zack out to see the shopping district tonight.

"Okay but only if you're sure," Zack replied, standing up to leave only to stop at the door and turn back. "If you need anything, you promise me you'll use the intercom, okay?"

"Yes, dad!" Cloud answered sarcastically. Zack's only reply was to laugh as he grabbed his jacket and left the room.

Cloud had noticed the dark haired soldier was wearing his best dark blue shirt and black jeans. It was the outfit that Zack always wore when he was trying to pick up or impress a potential date as the blue brought out the colour in his eyes. Cloud chuckled to himself as he used the remote to turn on the television on the wall. Zack had it so bad for the President and even though it was obvious to everyone around him, the dark haired soldier was completely unaware of the fact that Laguna felt the same way about him. He'd even made a bet with Kiros on how long it would take Zack to work it out. One more week and he'd be 50 gil richer.

**.**

Christmas day was still a week away and Zack felt a little depressed at the lack of decorations in the Esthar shopping district. Back home, decorations would be everywhere by now, colored lights flashing and Christmas trees everywhere you turn. Zack loved the brightness the holiday brought and the way it seemed to make everyone more light hearted and happy.

He glanced beside him at Laguna who was smiling proudly as he gave a running commentary about everything they walked past. Zack couldn't help but like the optimistic man beside him. Laguna would love Christmas as much as he did if he ever got the chance to experience it.

They arrived at the shopping district and Laguna lead him to the gift shop. The door opened before the President could even knock on it and both of them were ushered inside of the warm interior. Zack grinned at Laguna as the shopkeeper fawned over him, dragging the President around the shop to show off his wares while completely ignoring the dark haired soldier.

It gave him the opportunity to shop without distraction and half an hour later he had all his presents bagged up by the store assistant and he was ready to leave. Unfortunately it took Laguna another forty minutes to escape the owner's clutches.

"Sorry about that, Zack," Laguna said, running his hand through his hair as they walked back down the center of the deserted shopping district. "The gift shop owner always thinks he can convince me to buy one of everything in there."

They walked the long way back, taking a pathway that ran around the outer edge of the city. When they reached the highest point of the road Laguna stopped and suggested they take a moment to enjoy the view before returning to the palace. Zack eagerly agreed, wanting to spend as much time as possible with the handsome leader, despite the fact it was freezing cold.

It was so quiet out and the only sound Zack could hear was the wind gently blowing around them and Laguna's breathing beside him on the bench. As they sat silently enjoying the view, he noticed the President shiver slightly and put an arm around him. Laguna snuggled up against his side resting his head on his shoulder with a sigh.

"If it's too cold we can go back," Zack suggested, hoping the President would decline but feeling obliged to ask.

"You're keeping me warm," Laguna answered softly, his breath tickling the young soldier's neck. Zack's body began to react to the close proximity and he tried to control its rising interest. He had grown attached to the President since their arrival but despite his constant flirting, Zack still had no idea if the older man returned his feelings. Laguna would hug him and even grin at him affectionately but all his actions could still be perceived as friendly and nothing more. The young soldier didn't want to step over the line and lose the closeness they had developed so far.

"Zackary, do you have someone special back home?" Laguna murmured against his neck, sending a shiver up his spine.

"No. There was someone but it didn't work out," Zack replied, breathing in the smell of Laguna's hair and sighing. Gods, even the man's hair smelled good to him. He was quickly losing the battle with his arousal and the older man's closeness was becoming far too much of a temptation.

Zack closed his eyes and tried to think of something to distract himself. He felt the older man move from under his arm and disappointment filled him but he kept his eyes closed. Zack didn't want Laguna to see his sadness at the loss.

A warm hand touched his cheek and soft lips touched his, making him jump back in surprise. He opened his eyes to see a blushing Laguna chewing on his bottom lip and frowning.

"I'm sorry," Laguna blurted out, sliding back on the bench and beginning to stand. Zack's brain kicked back into gear as the shock passed and he realized that the older man had misread his surprise as rejection. Quickly grabbing Laguna's arms he pulled the now standing man into his lap, making him straddle his legs as he kissed the older man deeply, putting all his pent up desire into the kiss. At first, Laguna squeaked when he was pulled down but when their lips met he kissed the young soldier back enthusiastically, opening his mouth and letting their tongues dance slowly.

Zack hands moved around to the President's back, one sliding down to grasp his backside and pull their pelvises together. Laguna whimpered into his mouth as their clothed erections pressed together and the older man's hands came to rest on his shoulders, one moving up to caress his neck as Laguna grinded against him.

Time passed un-noticed as they continued their embrace, slowly sliding against one another. Out of breath, Zack broke the lock of their lips reluctantly to pull back and smile. As he gazed at the beautiful man before him, he suddenly noticed that it had begun to snow lightly, little snowflakes collecting in Laguna's dark hair and landing softly on the curves of his face. Zack reached up to kiss them away, trailing his lips gently over the face that had entranced him. Moving lower, he kissed along Laguna's jaw and down his neck, pausing to lick and nip the soft skin as the older man arched into his touch.

"Z…Zack," Laguna whispered as his hands crept up to finger through the younger man's hair. Zack loosened his grip around the President to move one hand down and free the older man's erection from his pants. Laguna gasped as Zack fondled him, running his thumb over the slit before making a fist for the older man to thrust into.

Laguna began to thrust slowly, saying his name between moans of pleasure. Zack pulled back to watch as the President threw his head back and lost himself in pleasure.

"Gods, Laguna. You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered. His voice caught the older man's attention, making him look at Zack with a wicked grin. Zack could only stare back, completely enthralled by the older man thrusting slowly in his lap. He looked down in surprise when cold air surrounded his own erection before Laguna's warm hand enveloped his shaft. He moaned at the sight of both of their cocks, so close together as they stroked each other.

As he continued to look down, Laguna let go of him and pulled Zack's hand away from his shaft. He looked up at the older man's face and was about to express his disappointment when Laguna kissed him again, sucking on his tongue before the President moved his hand back to encircle both of their shafts. Zack thrust against the older man's hand, adding his own previously discarded hand to increase the tightness of the other man's grip and receiving a loud moan from Laguna for his efforts.

The snow was falling heavier now but neither of them noticed. The heat between them was enough to keep them warm as they huddled together, kissing deeply and thrusting as one into their joined hands. Laguna broke the kiss first, leaning into Zack's shoulder and biting down as he came hard, his whole body jerking in the soldier's lap. The bite pushed Zack over the edge as he joined the older man, leaning his head back and moaning the President's name loudly with his release.

Zack hugged Laguna to his chest as they recovered and got their breathing back to normal. The President began to shiver against him as he realized that he should get Laguna back to the Palace and out of the now heavily falling snow.

"Laguna?" he whispered. The President sat up and looked at him, smiling as his teeth began to chatter. Zack smiled at him warmly and reached a hand up to hold his cheek. "I better get you back to the Palace before you freeze to death." Laguna nodded at him, pulling a handkerchief out of his jacket and cleaning them both up as much as possible.

Once they had themselves dressed again, they made their way to the back entrance of the Palace. The young soldier couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he stole glances of the handsome man beside him. How he'd managed to capture Laguna's interest was a mystery to him. Zack was so busy daydreaming that he didn't notice anything was up until Laguna stopped walking and grabbed his arm.

Looking around Zack noticed that all the guards were unconscious, laying on the ground as if they'd fallen asleep at their posts. Checking them over, he told Laguna that they were more than likely hit by a powerful sleep spell as they had no injuries and seemed to be unharmed. Laguna grabbed his phone out of his pocket and was about to call for help when Zack suddenly had a thought.

"Shit, Laguna….what if it's Genesis? Cloud's all alone in the room and…," his voice trailed off as he began to run for the elevators. Laguna followed behind him jogging to keep up.

"Zack, shouldn't we call for help? If he's still unstable I don't think I'd be much help in stopping him," Laguna said to the soldier as they entered the lift.

"If he's still unstable I don't think a platoon of your guards are gonna make much of a difference," Zack muttered, hitting the button in the lift and impatiently pacing. "You shouldn't be there though. I'll take you to your room on the way and you can wait for me there."

"No fucking way, Zack. I am not letting you go by yourself. If you're going alone than I'm right behind you. Look, maybe I can talk some sense into him," the President demanded as the elevator stopped and the doors open. Turning towards the older man, Zack saw the stubborn look on his face and sighed, running a hand through his hair as he exited the lift.

"Okay, fine. Just stay behind me," he insisted, jogging down the hallway towards the suite. He only prayed that Cloud wasn't hurt.

**.**


	6. Chapter 6

Cloud opened his eyes slowly, momentarily confused by his surroundings before he remembered that he'd been released from the hospital and must have fallen asleep watching the television which was still blaring away on the wall. Yawning he rolled over on the sofa to grab the remote from the coffee table, hitting the off button when something gooey squished under his chest. Sitting up he discovered the caramel filled chocolates that he'd been eating when he fell asleep where now smeared all over his bare chest and the blanket he'd been lying on.

Cloud stood up, mumbling curses as he tried to clean up the mess. Realizing a shower was the easiest option, he rolled up the blanket and headed for the bathroom. He was half way down the hallway before he noticed the shower was running. Zack must have finally got back and he knew his friend wouldn't mind if he at least cleaned up a bit in the sink and put the blanket in the laundry chute while he was showering. He knocked on the door, announcing his arrival before stepping inside the bathroom.

"Hey Zack, I just have to use the sink and I'll get out of your way," he called out, closing the door behind him before shoving the blanket down the chute. "Zack, how'd your date with the President go?" There was no response from the shower, though Cloud could see the shadow of his friend behind the shower door, even through the heavy steam that filled the room.

"Zack? Hey is everything okay in there?" Cloud asked looking at the shower door and frowning. If his friend was this quiet then something must have gone horribly wrong. Forgetting the chocolate smeared all over his chest, he approached the heavily misted glass and knocked on the shower door, his concern over-riding any qualms he might have had about interrupting Zack's shower. "I'm not leaving till you at least answer me."

Cloud heard a deep sigh from within the shower before the door slowly slid back and out stepped a completely naked General Genesis Rhapsodos. The young soldier gaped at his commanding officer like he was seeing a ghost, stumbling backwards until his butt hit the sink. Genesis stood still, his wet hair concealing his eyes and his arms hanging limp at his sides.

"S…sir," Cloud stuttered out in fear. The young soldier had begun to tremble so much that he had to reach behind himself with both hands and hold onto the sink for support. As he stared at the man before him his mind kept flicking back to the last time he'd seen Genesis, screaming and hurting Zack. Cloud had been trying to wipe the memory of blood and fear from his mind but seeing the General again had brought it all back in an instant.

"My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess," Genesis murmured quietly, his head rising as he locked eyes with the terrified younger man. Cloud could see no anger on his face only a deep sadness and what looked like regret. He still didn't move though, not trusting that the man before him wouldn't hurt him again. Genesis dropped to his knees on the tiled floor, hanging his head and taking in a deep breath before speaking again.

"Please Cloud. I beg for your forgiveness," Genesis whispered. The young soldier couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful, deadly General kneeling before him. He wanted to reach out to him, make him stand up and act like the untouchable warrior that he'd always believed him to be but a nagging voice in the back of his head kept telling him that the proud man deserved this and so much worse.

"Why did you want to hurt Zack?" Cloud asked, mentally wrestling with conflicting desires to punish and comfort the General. Genesis looked up at him again, frowning as he studied Cloud's face.

"I…I've been trying to answer that question myself for the past two weeks," he responded flatly.

"And? What was your answer?" the young soldier persisted.

"I believe I was jealous," the redhead answered, his cheeks going pink as he kept eye contact with the young man before him. "I have been harboring negative feelings towards Zackary for some time and the incident with the President pushed me to lose control and…," Genesis' words trailed off as his gaze fell away from Cloud once more.

"I don't understand. Jealous of who and what?" Cloud whispered back, trying to ignore the flush that spread across the porcelain cheeks before him. He could not forgive Genesis for what he had done…..could he?

"Jealous of Zackary and his relationship with you," the redhead answered softly. The young soldier was shocked silent by the revelation, staring at the older man with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. After a few minutes, he regained enough control to close his mouth and try and speak.

"B…but you're General Rhapsodos. Why the fuck would you…you can have anyone," Cloud rambled out, trying to grasp the older man's words and make sense of them. He was just a country boy who had only passed the soldier exam the second time around and was considered by most people as being too small and weak. Why would Genesis want him? Cloud looked up to find the General standing in front of him, only a few inches between them. The proximity of the naked vision of perfection made his heart beat so fast that he could hear his own pulse drumming in his ears. The redhead's eyes bored into his, leaving him paralyzed and fighting for breath.

"To me you are perfection. Your innocence and purity call to me and I can not resist," Genesis purred, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. Cloud flinched but did not pull away. He was locked in place, unsure if it was fear or need that held him there. The General's touch was tender and his hand gently moved down Cloud's neck, sending shivers running all over his smaller frame.

"Please, Sir. Please don't…," the blonde murmured, closing his eyes and whimpering when the redhead's other hand mirrored the first.

"Don't what?" the deep voice asked, so close that the young soldier could feel Genesis' breath dance over his lips.

"Don't stop," Cloud whispered in defeat.

**.**

Genesis smirked, unseen by the younger man. He couldn't resist the siren before him now, even if the goddess herself commanded him to. Leaning in slowly, his lips rained kisses all over Clouds face before coming to rest on trembling lips.

When the blonde's hands tentively reached out to rest on the redhead's bare hips, Genesis sucked in a breath, fighting for control. He continued the gentle kiss, running his tongue along the boy's bottom lip and moaned softly when they opened, granting him the entrance he had been dreaming of. Genesis' hands began to move, one going up to thread through soft spikes, while the other crept down, coming to rest on the boys lower back.

Their tongues slid together and the redhead tasted chocolate, sweet and as delicious as he had imagined the boy would be. The kiss deepened as their bodies touched, Cloud arching his back to press forward into the taller man. Genesis could feel something sticky on the blonde's chest and it drove his decission to move his tongue to more interesting areas.

Breaking their kiss, he moved his lips downwards, gentle presses that ghosted over the other's pale neck before continuing down until he was kneeling before the small blonde and cleaning the chocolate from his torso in long licks. Cloud's hands had moved into his hair and the younger soldier moaned softly as Genesis suckled on one nipple before licking his way over to the other.

"G…genesis," Cloud whimpered as he threw his head back, his erection pressing into the General's chest through the tracksuit pants the smaller man was wearing. Without pausing his tongues exploration, Genesis moved his hands to pull down the pants, letting them fall to the floor as his hands explored the newly revealed skin.

When the chocolate was all gone, the redhead moved lower running his tongue down to lick a lazy circle around the boys belly button. Glancing up, he noticed that Cloud had his eyes squeezed closed as he panted, his hands still gentle in the General's hair.

"Cloud, open your eyes and look at me," Genesis growled, unable to keep the heat out of his voice. Big blue eyes were revealed and the older man could see desire shinning back at him. "Do not look away," the General ordered. Cloud nodded and Genesis swallowed his cock to the hilt in one movement, keeping their eyes locked together.

Cloud bit his lip hard, piercing the skin and Genesis stared at the small drop of blood that slipped down the boys chin. The blonde didn't seem to notice, his eyes fixed on the redhead as he fucked his face. The General saw shame in those innocent eyes and he groaned around the length in his mouth, turned on by the thought of corrupting the angel before him. Somewhere in the back of Genesis' mind his conscious was screaming at him to stop but he ignored it, locking it away with all his other weaknesses. He was finally getting what he wanted and he'd come to realize in the past two weeks that this was the only way he could win.

Fuck kindness. Fuck decency. Fuck his heart.

Every time Genesis did what was right, he lost. Life was proving to him that if you wanted something, you should take it and damn the consequences. The darkness inside of him wanted this boy and he'd waited long enough for the chance to disappear inside of him.

Cloud was moaning like a hoar now, bucking into his mouth and fisting his hands in the General's hair, his eyes misted over with lust as they peered down. As the younger man's body began to tense up, Genesis released him from his mouth and used his hand to finish the job.

The blonde came hard, crying out the redheads name and squeezing his eyes closed as he climaxed, shooting his load all over his own chest. Genesis smiled wickedly as he stood up, bathing his ego in the sound of his own name being muttered over and over as Cloud continued to spasm in his hand.

As the boy quieted down, he grabbed his hips turning him around and bending him over the sink. Cloud's hand gripped either side of the basin as he looked into the mirror over the sink at the man behind him. Genesis ground his cock into the firm ass in front of him, looking into the mirror to find fearful eyes staring back at him. The sight only fueled his lust, too far gone in his own need for release to have the slightest chance of hearing his conscious.

He nuzzled the pale neck, licking and sucking to mark his conquest while one hand moved down to fondle the boy's flaccid cock. The other hand collected Cloud's seed off his chest and spread in between his cheeks, circling the tight puckered entrance teasingly. Cloud tried to flinch away but Genesis would not allow it, sucking softly on the boys shoulder as he slowly pushed a digit inside. Cloud cried out at the intrusion, the distress on his face noted but ignored by the red General. Holding the finger still, he continued to work the blonde's hardening cock back to life with his other hand. Genesis was watching the face in the mirror as blue eyes closed and the boy began thrusting back onto his finger, despite his initial reluctance.

The General growled deep in his chest, his restraint dangerously close to breaking. Not only would he take the young soldiers virginity tonight but with it he hoped to take his innocence and self respect as well. It was the only way to ensure Cloud's devotion, the only way to clip the angel's wings and keep him from flying away.

He slipped a second finger in to join the first easily, making the boy moan his name as he pushed both fingers in deep, finding the blonde's prostate and hissing at the bucking body beneath him.

"Cloud," he growled into the boys ear. "Tell me what you want me to do. Say it out loud and I will grant your wish."

"Ahhh…S…sir," Cloud whimpered, he eyes opening to plead with Genesis in the mirror as his face flushed red.

"Say it, boy. Tell me what you desire," the redhead continued, not giving him any mercy as he continued to finger fuck him. "If not, I will walk away and never touch you again."

"No, please! D…don't stop," Cloud begged, his voice whining with his need. "Fuck me…please fuck me, Sir."

"I am already fucking you with my fingers, soldier. You will have to be clearer with your words if you desire this," Genesis teased as he pushed his fingers in hard to emphasize his point. Cloud moaned loudly, throwing back his head as his prostrate was struck.

"Please S…sir. Fuck me with…with you cock. I need…need to feel you inside of me," the young boy finally moaned out between deep breaths.

"As you wish, my little angel. Let me be the one to make you fall from grace," Genesis whispered in his ear. Pulling his fingers free, he heard the boy whimper and leant forward to kiss his back as he lined himself up. Releasing the now straining erection, he grabbed the perfect, thin hips with both hands and slowly pushed forward. When the head of his cock breached the tight ring of muscle, Genesis had to pause. Cloud was so tight that it was near impossible to continue.

"Relax or this will hurt," he hissed, teetering on the brink of thrusting forward and harming the small body underneath him. Thankfully Cloud relaxed to allow the General to push forward slowly until he was fully inside the tight cavern. Looking into the mirror over the boys shoulder he could see tears trickling down the flushed cheeks and he held still. Genesis began caressing the boys neck with tender kisses as one hand returned to Cloud's abandoned member, twisting and stroking it as his thumb tickled the slit on every upward pass. Finally, after what seemed like eternity the pressure around his cock eased up and the blonde began to squirm under him.

"You know what I want to hear. Say it, Cloud," he purred, biting one earlobe gently.

"S…sir. Please m…move. Please fuck me," Cloud stuttered out, half opening his eyes to peer at the red general's reflection. Genesis held his gaze as he pulled back slowly only to thrust forward hard. The blonde moaned his name with every forward thrust as Genesis repeated the slow withdrawal and fast entry, his movement becoming more erratic as his self control began to slip. Working the boys cock with one hand while the other braced his hips, the redhead began pounding into his angel with reckless abandon, spurred on by the wanton noises pouring fourth from Cloud's perfect lips.

"Beautiful. So…so fucking beautiful," Genesis groaned incoherently, trying to maintain rhythm amongst the chaos.

"Y…yes! I…I'm yours," Cloud panted out between breaths. "T…take me."

"Come for me, Cloud. S…show me your devotion," the redhead growled, knowing that he was only moments away from his own climax.

"For…for you," Cloud muttered before closing his eyes and reaching his peak, screaming Genesis' name as the General followed him into bliss.

Neither one of them noticed the two men standing in the doorway, mouths open and staring in shock.

**.**


End file.
